Improvement in car-starters



E. A. WHITAKER.

Gar-Starter.

Patented Oct. 8,1878.

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WITNESSES! O mm V UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

EDGAR A. WHITAKER, OF PAWTUCKET, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE HIS RIGHT TO SARAHATHENA BEAMAN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-STARTERS.

Specification ibrming part of Letters Patent No. 208,778, tlatcd October8, 1878; application filed August 31, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. WHITAKER, of Pawtucket, Providence county,Rhode Island, have invented certain Improvements in Gar-Starters, ofwhich the following is a specification:

My invention relates to that class of mechanical contrivances known ascar-starters, and it may be applied to street or horse cars orrailroad-cars. It is designed to be operated either by the driver or bythe propelling power of the car, (animal or steam,) singly or by bothcombined; and it consists in providing a system of levers, rods, chains,and pulleys, connecting with a ratchet-wheel upon the axle of thecar-wheel, so arranged and combined that when the car is at a stand thewheels may be moved forward a few inches, thus overcoming the inertia ofthe mass and facilitating a start.

Referring to the drawing filed herewith, I will describe my invention sothat others skilled in the art may be able to make and use the same.

Figure l is a vertical section of a ear-body, and Fig. 2 a plan of theunder side of a carlloor, showing my improvement attached thereto.

Like letters in eitherdrawing relate to like parts of the device.

A is a ratchet-wheel attached to the axle next the car-wheel, into whichthe hooked rod B engages. O is a lever to be operated by the driver,connected by a chain, c 0, passing over pulleys d d, bolted to thebottom of the car, with the transverse or center piece of thetoggle-joint levers E E, to which one end of the hooked rod B is madefast. F is a spring, into which the hook or pawl of the hooked rod Bfalls when not in use, the spiral spring 6 e thrusting the rod B back. aa is a rod provided with a spiral spring, I, one end of which hooks tothe pole or draft-bar of the car, and the other end of which has a jaw,b, to engage in the jaw b of the connecting-rod G, when the same israised by the elevating-lever connected with the step D. At one end therod G is bolted to the toggle-joint lever E. The plates of thetoggle-joint lever are bolted to the bottom of the car a little past thecenter. The bolts do not bind the plates rigidly to the car-bed, therebeing slots in the plates through which the bolts pass that allow someplay to the plates, thus giving a greater play to the hooked rod B thanto the connecting-rod G.

The method of operation will be readily seen.

When the car is at a stand, the driver, wishing to start it, lifts thelever C, which, by means of the chain c c, pulls the hooked rod Bforward, drawing its hook or pawl from the spring F into a ratchet ofthe wheel A, thus turning the axle.

If it is desired to use the power that draws the car, the step D ispressed down, engaging the jaw b of the connecting-rod G in the jaw b ofthe rod a a and bringing the pawl of the rod B into play with theratchet-wheel through the toggle-joint lever E E.

It will be seen that both methods'may be combined, and that the devicemaybe applied to both ends of a car, so as to move it in eitherdirection.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in car-starting apparatus,of the ratchet-wheel Awith the hooked rod B, the toggle-joint levers EE, the spiral spring e e, the chain c c passing over the pulleys d d andthe lever (J, when united and op erated as shown and described.

2. The combination, in car-starting appara tus, of the ratchet-wheel A,the hooked rod B, the toggle-joint levers E E, the connecting-rod G, thejaws b I), the levers moved by the step D, the rod a a, and the spiralspring I, when united and operated as shown and described.

3. In car starting apparatus, the togglejoint lever E E, the plates ofwhich are bolted to the bottom of a car a little past the center of thecar, there being slots in these plates, through which the bolts pass,allowing some play to the plates upon the bolts, as shown, forcommunicating the power of the startinglever, controlled by the driver,to the arm or rod that moves a ratchet-wheel connected with thecar-wheel.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR A. WHITAKER.

Witnesses JAMES W. BRowN, THOMAS H. LYNCH.

